Grounding device having a grounding plate and an insulated connecting wire

Abstract

An electrical grounding device can have a grounding plate and an insulated connecting wire. Having an insulated connecting wire reduces or prevents corrosion of the connecting wire by the surrounding underground soil. A grounding assembly is also provided and can have such a grounding device. The grounding assembly can include additional grounding devices which can also have an insulated connecting wire. A method of measuring resistance to ground of a grounding device of a grounding assembly having a multiple grounding devices and one or more bonding wires routed through a conduit is also disclosed. Having all but one of the connecting wires and bonding wires insulated or insulating all the connecting wires of the grounding devices of the grounding assembly allows measurement of resistance to ground by electrically disconnecting all but the connecting wire of the grounding device to be tested, contacting one terminal of an ohm meter to the connecting wire of the grounding device to be tested and contacting the other terminal of the ohm meter to the earth or ground, and reading the ohm meter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A grounding assembly for an electronic device, the grounding assembly comprising:
 a grounding plate made of conductive material and having an exposed surface area of least two square feet; 
 an insulated first grounding wire electrically connected to the grounding plate and the electronic device; and 
 a grounding rod and a second grounding wire electrically connected to the grounding rod and the electronic device. 
 
     
     
       2. The grounding assembly of  claim 1  wherein the grounding plate is made of copper or a copper alloy. 
     
     
       3. The grounding assembly of  claim 1  wherein the grounding plate and a conductive core of the insulated grounding wire are welded together. 
     
     
       4. The grounding assembly of  claim 1  wherein the second grounding wire is insulated. 
     
     
       5. The grounding assembly of  claim 4  further comprising a bus bar made of electrically conductive material for electrically connecting the grounding plate and grounding rod to the electronic device. 
     
     
       6. The grounding assembly of  claim 5  wherein the bus bar has a first opening to receive the insulated grounding wire and second opening to receive the second grounding wire for electrically connecting the grounding plate and grounding rod to the electronic device. 
     
     
       7. The grounding assembly of  claim 6  further comprising a bridging wire electrically connected to the electronic device and the bus bar, and the bus bar further comprising a third opening for receiving the bridging wire. 
     
     
       8. The grounding assembly of  claim 7  wherein the grounding assembly further comprises at least one bonding wire for connecting the grounding assembly to either a grounding device of a power supply or another grounding assembly of an adjacent electronic device. 
     
     
       9. The grounding assembly of  claim 8  wherein the grounding assembly comprises two bonding wires each received in fourth and fifth openings respectively of the bus bar wherein one bonding wire is electrically connectable to a bus bar of a grounding assembly of first adjacent electronic device and the second bonding wire electrically connectable to either a grounding device of a power supply or a bus bar of a grounding assembly of an adjacent electronic device.